The MAve Hotel » Dining

An Urban NYC Winery

Dakota Smith — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 06:00:46 +0000

Odds are that travelers don’t visit NYC for its locally made wine. In fact, it seems safe to say that most visitors to the city probably have no idea that there’s a winery making wine in New York. But, in the heart of SoHo, the City Winery is doing exactly that.

Founded in 2008, the goal of City Winery is to introduce the urbanite denizens of NYC to the intricate process of winemaking and allow them to experience the full wine experience, from production to consumption.

As NYC has no vineyards, the winery imports grapes to its SoHo location from some of the world’s premier grape-growing regions like France, Australia and South Africa. These grapes then embark upon the winemaking process, as they are mashed, fermented and aged to perfection in the winery’s barrel room.

Visitors are welcome to explore the winery and to enjoy some of its house wines at its 30-seat Barrel Room Restaurant. Eleven of the homemade wines are available on tap and there are more than 400 wines from around the world available, if, for some reason, someone wants to try something else.

A more in-depth look at the urban winemaking process can be seen on a guided tour of City Winery, each of which comes with a wine-tasting, cheese-platter finale. The tours are $35 per person and are available seven days a week from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The City Winery is just one example of an innovative and unique NYC establishment. The city truly does have a little bit of everything, and tourists would be wise to spend as much time as possible getting acquainted with the city. To help make this dream a reality, every guest staying at least four nights at our boutique Manhattan hotel The MAve will now receive his/her fifth night free!

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NYC Restaurant Week

Dakota Smith — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 06:00:53 +0000

The NYC Restaurant Week officially kicked off on January 14th, but, in somewhat of a misnomer, the event extends all the way to February 8th this year. More than 300 restaurants in Manhattan are participating in the event by offering set meals at the set prices of $25 for lunch and $38 for dinner. It’s a unique opportunity to dine at some of the city’s best restaurants without breaking the bank.

Let’s go over a few dining options that guests at The MAve will be able to enjoy over the next few weeks.

The MarkJoseph Steakhouse at the South Street Seaport serves up some of the city’s best steaks in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Hospoda, on the Upper East Side, is a Czech restaurant that has been taking the city by storm. Eastern European cuisine has never been tastier as the restaurant combines Czech cuisine with fresh produce for a modern take on dishes like lentil soup and pork shank.

Esca in Midtown was founded by Chef Dave Pasternack who brought his family’s fishing past and Italian heritage to bear in this seafood restaurant. Raw fish make an appealing appetizer, while whole fish are the customary mains.

Brasserie Ruhlmann is a restaurant in the famed Rockefeller Center that offers French cuisine with an American twist. The NYC Restaurant Week special is a particularly good deal here, as a sandwich usually costs upwards of $20!

Finally, just across from The MAve boutique hotel in NYC’s Flatiron District is A Voce. This Italian restaurant is very highly regarded by the city’s food critics and its Restaurant Week special won’t disappoint.

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Eating A Swath Through The West Village

Dakota Smith — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 06:00:03 +0000

Greenwich Village is one of New York’s most iconic neighborhoods, having come to fame in the 20th century as a bohemian haunt for poets, musicians and artists. The neighborhood’s role as an alternative haven reached its peak in the 1960s when artists like Bob Dylan brought the Village to the national forefront of cultural relevance. While the neighborhood has now gone mainstream, it’s still an exceedingly cool place to visit, as it’s jam packed with bars, restaurants and entertainment options.

Guests staying at our NYC hotel The MAve are in an excellent position to explore all The Village has to offer, as the hotel is situated in the adjacent Flatiron District.

One of the best reasons to visit the West Village is for all of the amazing restaurants. But while it’s easy to find a good restaurant in the area, there are still some hidden gems that are worth searching for.

Mary’s Fish Camp, on Charles Street, is an outright amazing seafood restaurant that is usually packed with locals who come for the fish tacos and other seafood delights.

Another place worth checking out is the Israeli restaurant Taïm. More of a takeout spot than a dine-in place, Taïm is popular at lunch time because of its sabich (eggplant and egg) sandwich, falafels and smoothies.

On Hudson Street the EN Japanese Brasserie is a great choice for dinner, as it has a quiet and romantic setting and services delicious Japanese cuisine featuring homemade tofu.

For some traditional New York street fare head over to John’s Pizzeria on Bleecker Street. One of the best pizza places in a city chock-full of pizza places, this pizzeria has a magical way of making sure every one of its pizzas comes out of its brick oven baked to perfection.

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SoHo Shopping

Dakota Smith — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 17:50:14 +0000

The neighborhoods south of Midtown have an entirely different feel than the rest of Manhattan. The skyscrapers and traffic relent once the numbered streets stop and the neighborhoods are quieter with more distinction between them. There are some cool places to visit in the area like Greenwich Village and its happening nightlife or Little Italy for its ethnic cuisine, but for the best shopping in Lower Manhattan the place to be is SoHo.

Short for South of Houston (Street), SoHo is one of the city’s trendiest neighborhoods. (To avoid standing out in New York make sure to pronounce the Houston in Houston Street as how-ston.) Fashionable locals love SoHo because of its quiet streets, super chic restaurants, boutique shopping and its posh address.

Check out the area around Spring Street/Prince Street/Broadway for the largest collection of boutique shops. For the classic look of fashionable New Yorkers visit the DIGS (Done in Great Style) flagship store on Lafayette Street. LEGACY, on Thompson Street, is a SoHo stalwart that has a huge reputation for vintage clothing. More vintage clothing can be found at the very cool What Goes Around Comes Around on Broadway or Patina on Broome. Luxury goods connoisseurs can stop in at Palma, where the shop attendants serve as personal shoppers/style coaches.

Currently guests staying at our boutique hotel in NYC, the MAve, can enjoy a 20% discount on any stay over two nights that includes a Sunday, which means you’ll have that much more cash to blow on your SoHo shopping spree!

Stick around SoHo for dinner and drinks after a long day at the stores. Blue Ribbon Sushi on Sullivan Street and Prince is without a doubt one of the best Japanese restaurants in New York. Super cool and very chic, this restaurant offers inventive takes on traditional Japanese cuisine that is to die for. Don’t miss their house salad, whose blend of avocados, tomatoes and dressing is superb. Afterward a popular place for cocktails is the Naked Lunch lounge on Thompson Street. Packed on the weekends, the locals come for the bar’s long-running happy hour.

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